What are ARG’s intentions for TCR NZ?

Over the last 18 months we have observed quite an investment from the Australian Racing Group (ARG) in the Australian motorsport scene, particularly in the new TCR class. ARG have helped bring into Australia a large number of TCR cars as well as funding some top Australian and international drivers to compete in the 2019 series.

In June 2019, MotorSport New Zealand (MSNZ), who own the NZ TCR franchise, announced that ARG would have the management rights to run their domestic series. At the time this seemed to make sense as the global category carries the same regulations across all championships throughout the world. However, they initially faulted after announcing a five-week sprint series that was to be run in conjunction with the 2020 Castrol Toyota Racing Series over consecutive weekends. This was to be combined with the opportunity for Kiwi drivers to appear at the Australian Grand Prix and Bathurst TCR events as well as having their own endurance category and series in selected 2020 North and South Island Endurance Series.

With an initial low entry from Kiwi teams, coupled with the apparent reluctance of Australian teams to come across the Tasman to race, the series was postponed in December 2019. It is now expected to run over the 2020/21 NZ summer, getting underway in the early spring.

Now Bruce Newton from Auto Action reports (see ARG switches TCR strategy) that ARG won’t be subsidising the Australian category in the future, with the grid expected to find its own funding for its second season.

Newton reports that ARG is selling off the TCR cars that it has brought into Australia and that there will be ‘fewer guest star drivers appearing in TCR.’ ARG expects that numbers on the grid will remain high given the impact the category has made in its first 12 months.

So what of TCR New Zealand? We still await an announcement of the 2020/21 calendar and with ARG stepping back financially from the Australian series, don’t expect funds to be diverted across the Tasman.

It appears as though the Kiwi series will have to stand on its on two feet. And so it should, just like any other category. However, with the expected announcement of a new TA2 Series (Trans-Am) to take over from the current BNT V8s, there will be a competition for a number of teams to decide which path they will head down. TCR, or TA2? Will we see both thriving or a division of investment with both categories struggling or one that will dominate over the other? Timing is not the best with the future global economy looking more dismal each day while the current Covid-19 virus makes an impact.

MSNZ appear to be backing the new TCR NZ category having announced in February this year that BNT V8s will lose its NZ Touring Car Championship status which will now go to TCR NZ. At the time Talkmotorsport described this as a bold move (See ’A bold decision from MSNZ’).

Certainty is now required to proceed forward. Certainty of a calendar, category regulations and articles in order for teams and drivers to invest. Certainty of sufficient numbers on the grid (>15).

Even though we have seen quite a level of investment from ARG in TCR Australia, let’s not expect ARG to invest in the same level as they have in the Australian category. Then we won’t be so disappointed.